Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) components are increasingly being used in a wide variety of applications, especially where the demand for miniaturized structures is called for. Typically, a MEMS component is a miniaturized device having a movable structure suspended from a substrate, and associated circuitry that both senses movement of the suspended structure and delivers the sensed movement data to one or more external devices for processing. MEMS devices can be implemented as accelerometers to selectively deploy air bags in automobiles, as gyroscopes to detect rotation rates in airplanes, as microphones to convert audible signals to electrical signals, and so forth. The use of MEMS microphones, rather than conventional electret-condenser microphones, has come to be appreciated for their small package profile and compatibility with surface mount techniques and automated pick-and-place equipment.
MEMS components are typically fabricated on semiconductor wafers using one of two well established techniques: bulk micromachining or surface micromachining. In both of these techniques, the MEMS component is fabricated in or on a semiconductor wafer using standard integrated circuit fabrication equipment. Once the wafer is processed, it is diced to form individual die. Each singulated die is packaged, and the MEMS component may be inserted into a socket or bonded to a non-semiconductor substrate, such as a printed circuit board as part of an overall system.
MEMS fabrication and packaging can have a significant impact on the ability of such MEMS components to penetrate cost-sensitive markets, such as the cellular telephone industry. Thus, what is needed is a lower cost system solution compatible with robust assembly in order to further promote the use of MEMS components.